1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of recorded audio data in computer systems and more particularly to a recorder having means to apply markers to the recorded audio data and to user interfaces for use in display, playback and manipulation of audio data.
2. Prior Art
Audio data, including various forms of voice data, is widely used for communication of information, as well as for storage of information for later retrieval and use. For example, the familiar microcassette recorder or dictaphone is frequently used to store a user's idea or other information for later use. The audio data may be a letter to be typed, which is stored by speaking the data into a microphone on the recorder, or the audio data may be the conversation among participants of a meeting which is similarly recorded for later review. Despite the widespread use of audio data in situations such as those outlined above, such data is used only rarely on personal computers. This is true despite the facts that audio data, for example, a recorded voice, is otherwise familiar to and well understood by the user, is often the most convenient means for capturing the data, and contains information such as affect and gender, which is not present in other forms of data.
Several problems exist with audio data which makes its use cumbersome. First, the serial nature of the data does not allow for random access. Thus, for example, if a user is near the beginning of the data (i.e., at the beginning of a tape) and desires to move to a point near the end of the data, the user will have to fast forward to the desired point, which can take several minutes. Another problem is the limited ability to identify and therefore locate portions of the data. Many existing tape recorders have a tape counter mechanism. However, it may not be convenient or possible for a user to write down the counter numbers at the desired locations as the data is being recorded. Additionally, even if the user is able to note separately counter numbers at certain locations, it may difficult for the user to know the relevance of the audio data at the noted locations. This inability to locate certain pieces of data, is further compounded by the serial nature of the data described above. A user may need to sample several points in a data to find the desired data, and therefore must take the time necessary to go backward and forward on the tape to access the sampled locations.
Additionally, the serial nature of the audio data makes it difficult to organize the data. For example, a user may dictate a letter, then record a "to do" memo in order to remind him or herself that a certain task must be performed in the future, and then record an idea for a new product. Although these three items are entirely unrelated, they will reside on the tape in close proximity to one another with, as described above, no easy way of determining where each item is located.
Another problem in the use of audio data is the lack of correspondence between interfaces from the recording hardware domain to the computer domain. For example, a user familiar with a microcassette recorder or dictaphone will be comfortable with the recorder's interface elements, such as the play, rewind, cue and review, and counter zeroing mechanism. However, prior art computer audio interfaces, for performing functions such as locating or playing back the audio data may bear no relation to the recording hardware interface. Thus, the user will be unable to understand intuitively the computer interface and may thus feel "lost" when reviewing the data in the computer domain. Additionally, prior art audio data user interfaces are cumbersome to use. After the data has been displayed in the prior art, the user must access a different mode to indicate the desired starting point of playback, to initiate or stop playback, etc.
What is needed is a method and apparatus which allows users to mark audio data while the data is being recorded. The method and apparatus should have sufficient flexibility to allow the user to assign the meaning and organization of the markings. The markings should enable the user to identify quickly pertinent portions of the data. What is further needed is a method and apparatus for interacting with the audio data in the computer domain. The computer interface should correspond to the hardware interface used to record the audio data. The computer interface should allow a user to identify quickly and to access randomly the audio data. Finally, the computer interface should allow for fluid control of the audio data by providing for several frequently used functions to be performed in a single mode.